A maniac who set a Virginia councilman ablaze in a jealous rage learned his fate at a sentencing hearing on Thursday.
Shotsie Buck-Hayes was sentenced to 40 years in prison by Circuit Judge James Reynolds for attempting to burn Danville City Councilman Lee Vogler alive on July 30, 2025.
Buck-Hayes strutted into Lee Vogler’s office, doused him with a bucket of gasoline, chased him from the building, and set him on fire — accusing the married father-of-two of having an affair with his wife.
Attorneys for the firebug said they plan to appeal the sentence and believe he will eventually return to his native country, the United Kingdom, since he is not a US citizen, ABC11 reported.
Vogler and his family attended the hearing, where the scarred councilman — who has burns covering 60% of his body — made an emotional statement about the life-altering attack.
Along with the second- and third-degree burns on over half his body, Vogler suffered burn shock, septic shock, and damage to his lungs due to the smoke. He has had to undergo several surgeries to repair the extensive damage.
Buck-Hayes spoke and offered “what he claimed to be an apology,” but remained adamant that he was motivated by Vogler’s alleged affair with his wife at the time, Mary Alice, according to Commonwealth’s Attorney Michael Newman.
Buck-Hayes and Mary Alice had filed for divorce just weeks before the deranged husband doused Vogler in gasoline.
It remains unclear if there is any validity to Buck-Hayes’ claims that Vogler and his wife engaged in adultery.
The maniac pled guilty in April to one count each of attempted first-degree murder and aggravated malicious wounding.
Judge Reynolds sentenced Buck-Hayes to 10 years in prison on the attempted murder charge, with five of those years suspended.
Reynolds also handed down a life sentence for the malicious wounding charge, suspending all but 35 years of that term.
Newman noted that the judge imposed a sentence three times the one called for under citizen guidelines for the wounding charge.
“I’m glad the court agreed that it’s an aggravating case and went above the guidelines and sentenced in such a way to hopefully hold this defendant accountable for this horrific act,” Newman said.
With Post wires
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